tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49390267937582724512024-03-14T05:34:11.728-07:00To Move & Be MovedAmelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-89694388735510842022018-04-29T13:44:00.000-07:002018-09-26T14:29:54.527-07:00cracked open <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.5px;">Shuffling though the dirt, half heartedly pulling weeds. I feel the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.5px;">deep cool dirt surrounding my fingers juxtaposing the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.5px;">blazing sun beating at the back of my neck. Behind me I hear the quiet commotion of the house across the street... Cars of family members and friends pulling up to arrange and prepare. How strange it is to be a bystander in this process now after having gone through loss of my own. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.5px;">I hear and see the need to do. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.5px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.5px;">“I’ll get ice." </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.5px;">"Do we have enough chairs?"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.5px;">"Let’s pull cars up to make more room.” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.5px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.5px;">All the fussing and doing, because what else is there to do? Keeping hands busy and worrying about little details that don’t matter now, nor will they ever. The real reason, I can see now, is that once the 'doing' stops, you have to notice the glaringly obvious absence. That one person who would normally be at the center of all this commotion, tying all of these people together. So you fuss, and plan, and clean, and distract. You have to, to keep your heart pumping and your will going. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.5px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.5px;">Noticing me in the garden, he begins to stumble over across the road and raises a hand to gesture hello. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.5px;">“So I’m sure you’ve noticed all the cars at the house lately,” he calls out still approaching</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.5px;">I nod. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.5px;">“Jackie died last week,” he states numbly stopping in the middle of my yard. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.5px;">I nod. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.5px;">His voice is heavy and light at the same time. His eyes are looking at me, and even though I barely know him, I can tell he is not here. It's like he’s looking at my face but can only see hers. I know this feeling, though I couldn’t describe it at the time I felt it myself. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.5px;">w h a t d o I s a y n o w?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.5px;">No one experiences loss the same, and honestly there isn’t anything to do but busy yourself until your heart is ready to process and mend itself. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.5px;">“I'm so sorry. We are here for you if you ever need anything,” is all I’m able to manage, then start internally kicking myself at how dumb it sounds in my own ears. He invites me to their house, his house... this afternoon for a gathering, "of course, we will be there." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.5px;">Turning back to my weeds and dirt, I busy my hands and wonder at how strange it is to be in such a place of grief and then notice a shift. A friend and I were talking about Jackie the other day, and I remembered how last year seems like a blur to me, when I was so wrapped in my own grief that I don’t know what happened in March or September. And this year, while it’s still with me, the load seems lighter, like my brain said, 'ok you can feel and see and remember again.' S</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.5px;">eeing Daniel in his blur of fresh grief brought me back to that intense sensation of numbness and remembering the doing, just to keep feeling purposeful.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.5px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.5px;">Shuffling through the dirt I see an acorn cracked open and starting to sprout. I feel it’s hard smooth shell and notice the cracks where the tender green bud miraculously nosed it’s way through. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.5px;">Seemingly impossible, it’s found light. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.5px;">And I remember the quote from Cynthia Ocelli:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.5px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.5px;">“For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, its insides come out and everything changes. To someone who doesn't understand growth, it would look like complete destruction.”</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ux54tEwP2_TN_G4ErrW3NyWYm3O6M4wDYdymAGOSK90djAWY92fIGN6PSVobpEWquh1VahyphenhyphendXFSyKAD8uTN8dw2PnK7BcHawrg_1nXxTizXgbXTxN5bxAGi2MFBKTuYicvSXBWb2FfM/s1600/IMG_3255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ux54tEwP2_TN_G4ErrW3NyWYm3O6M4wDYdymAGOSK90djAWY92fIGN6PSVobpEWquh1VahyphenhyphendXFSyKAD8uTN8dw2PnK7BcHawrg_1nXxTizXgbXTxN5bxAGi2MFBKTuYicvSXBWb2FfM/s400/IMG_3255.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 19.5px;"><span id="goog_853959403"></span><span id="goog_853959404"></span><br /></span>Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-6495037253715270102018-02-07T07:38:00.001-08:002018-02-07T07:38:22.477-08:00O N E Y E A R2 . 6 . 18<br />
<br />
The river is so full today<br />
churning sandy earth<br />
into deep waters<br />
lapping the edges of higher rock<br />
I step off trail<br />
'round the sloshy mud packed path<br />
and forge a new way on<br />
watching water crash<br />
rapid and wild<br />
turning foamy and white<br />
I see where water <i>seems</i> still<br />
murky from the turbulent undercurrent<br />
awaiting a turn to let loose<br />
<br />
I too am so full today<br />
full of<br />
<b>l o v e </b><br />
<b>s o r r o w</b><br />
<b>j o y </b><br />
<b>p a i n</b><br />
full of rushing emotions<br />
fierce and teeming<br />
hiding in the not yet clear waters<br />
pulling at my skin<br />
lapping the ever changing shores<br />
that boarder my grief<br />
<br />
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<br />Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-59037926528182079252017-11-22T06:47:00.000-08:002017-11-22T12:56:31.720-08:00Gap of StillnessThere is a gap between the trees<br />
That fills with light<br />
Each day<br />
As I walk my girls on familiar path, through the forest<br />
Like an open window<br />
Nestled above a bench, facing the stream<br />
Where I used to stop and sit<br />
Each day<br />
No matter the season<br />
Through trees bearing leaves,<br />
And branches turn barren<br />
I would sit in communion with the light shining through.<br />
<br />
For many months I couldn't,<br />
Or wouldn't<br />
Stop to sit<br />
I felt the light come through as I walked on by<br />
Like an old friend reaching down<br />
Tapping my shoulder,<br />
Asking me to stay a while<br />
"No time to stop"<br />
I'd say to no one in particular<br />
Pushing past<br />
Hurrying the curious noses of my two babies<br />
Urgently moving,<br />
"Just keep moving"<br />
<br />
But today as my friend called again,<br />
Tapping on my shoulder like she always does<br />
I sat<br />
And I felt the warmth of the sun shine on my face<br />
Kissing me in gratitude<br />
For stopping by<br />
Looking up I saw the clear blue sky<br />
Shine 'round what's left of the leaves,<br />
Shimmering in brilliant shades of yellow<br />
And I heard the crunch of fallen sister leaves,<br />
Brown and dried, rustling under nearby paws<br />
I felt the gentle tug of two leashes on my wrist<br />
Trying to pull me on,<br />
And that fearful voice in my head kept whispering,<br />
"Just keep moving"<br />
<br />
But I stayed a bit longer<br />
Soaking up the goodness of the light filled gap.<br />
Realizing by rushing past to numb<br />
Grief and fear and pain<br />
I had misplaced my gap of stillness<br />
To feel<br />
Joy and light and peace<br />
<br />Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-74439901930135206882017-03-19T08:50:00.001-07:002017-03-19T08:57:55.095-07:00Emptiness into Shadow<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fast moving clouds </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">leave light </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">shifting shapes </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">on bare bedroom walls</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">turning emptiness into shadow </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and back again</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-cffab098-e34a-0b99-951d-6b84e7c8c49d" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is grief?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I could give an answer </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">of what I thought it was</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">of what you’d expect it to be</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How do you describe </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the intangible </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">when words you thought you knew </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">are now simply letters arranged </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">on blank pages</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When light disappears </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">for too long at once</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the vast space</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">seems to swallow me whole </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and my breath </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">needs reminding </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">of its natural steady pattern</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> coaxed in </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> sweet-talked out</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But clouds keep shifting</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and light continues to find</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">its peculiar way through</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8oCdxtPUNcpwgChfoVmH76-_t58BSRaCAFPlpAirSUiTHHTBtuSv8v5El-usRewA9RVKnAn0A6kMnJQk46pzydxL2Y-XUSc6XPLcJkp-stm2KKHrho6zDGiucxPmXW3_-MtdUoueBX4s/s1600/Screen+shot+2017-03-18+at+5.32.07+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8oCdxtPUNcpwgChfoVmH76-_t58BSRaCAFPlpAirSUiTHHTBtuSv8v5El-usRewA9RVKnAn0A6kMnJQk46pzydxL2Y-XUSc6XPLcJkp-stm2KKHrho6zDGiucxPmXW3_-MtdUoueBX4s/s400/Screen+shot+2017-03-18+at+5.32.07+PM.png" width="400" /></a>Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-13728131161561978552017-03-06T12:35:00.001-08:002017-03-06T12:40:45.321-08:00Oklahoma Wind<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
That Oklahoma wind came to visit me today</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
-strong invisible power-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I sat and watched as it guided </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
tall grasses and young trees</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
I sat and watched as it helped them discover</div>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
their own unique ways </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
to bend and bow<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
I felt that Oklahoma wind<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
as it kissed my cheeks,<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
and ran gentle fingers through my hair<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
and I knew she was here</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
singing sweetly, <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
‘Amelia Claire, I love your hair’<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Eyes closed, that Oklahoma wind </div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
swept me back home</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
and my tears became</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
film projections </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
of near forgotten memories</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
when white eyelet lace curtains</div>
</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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danced between open windows,<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
and cornflower blue bedroom walls<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
And so I sat and watched,<br />
entranced </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
as she sang to me<o:p></o:p></div>
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soft and steady,<o:p></o:p></div>
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drawing fingers through my hair<br />
<br /></div>
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Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-25048612005547776792017-02-23T10:53:00.000-08:002017-02-23T10:56:26.521-08:00sacred ground<div style="text-align: center;">
Walking in the forest<br />
I see one after another; </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
tiny dew drops resting on young leaves </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
They collect and share light</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
like soft fleeting diamonds </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Viridescent moss crawls up the deep saturated trees, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
encircling their trunks </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
like delicate lace hems </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Tender white petals sprinkled down the trail, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
are commingling with fallen foliage </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
of seasons past</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Scattered further and further from their source, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
they bring their message with them: </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Spring is here</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
My puppy's curious nose follows a small purple butterfly,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
no bigger than my thumbnail, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
as it flutters low 'round the ivy </div>
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She watches from a distance, </div>
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seeming to sense its magic </div>
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Wandering along the creek</div>
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I start to weep </div>
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My tears fall below me </div>
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like salty sea cousins of the fresh morning dew,</div>
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gritty and rugged as they splash the ground </div>
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How does the dew form in perfect round droplets? </div>
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My grieving pauses in a moment of thanksgiving</div>
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for this beauty surrounding my feet</div>
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Though my head hangs heavy </div>
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I am soothed by this sacred ground </div>
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that receives my weight</div>
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one step at a time.</div>
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Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-85435722877825003382017-02-11T10:00:00.000-08:002017-02-23T07:24:42.488-08:00no words<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
Today marks one month since I left ATL and arrived in Oklahoma.<br />
<span style="line-height: 19.32px;">It has been 31 days since my grandmother Celia passed away.</span><br />
It has been 26 days since my great Aunt Jan passed away.<br />
It has been 23 days since I called an ambulance to take my mother to the ER, and on to ICU.<br />
<span style="line-height: 19.32px;">And it has been 5 cloudy, heart wrenching, sporadic uncontrollable sobbing days since I watched my mother take her last breath.</span></div>
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This is all still so raw and so very very sad that words like 'sad' seem to have lost their meaning. I still don't really know what is happening. And don't know how long this feeling will sit heavy on my chest, making it hard to breathe.</div>
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But I do know that my mother and the generations of strong women before her, two of whom we also just lost, have raised my sister and I to be strong and adventurous and loving women. And I feel that in my blood and my bones, even as it's hard to move and speak. I am forever grateful for the powerful village of amazing people my mother stitched together like a beautiful warm quilt, now wrapped around <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=10218302" href="https://www.facebook.com/carrie.olson" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">Carrie</a> and I. This will take time, but we will be ok. Love you all. Miss you with all my heart, Mama.</div>
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Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-78118006060297152392016-10-03T11:12:00.001-07:002016-10-03T19:09:47.037-07:00Tashlikh<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm not Jewish. I can't claim that I know anything about anything I'm about to write on here. But my boyfriend is, and I have many many dear friends who are Jewish. Funny enough though, it was actually my mother (another non-Jewish but very spiritual person like myself) who reminded me a few days ago that Rosh Hashanah was coming up. She decided she was going to celebrate this year, in her own "internet guided pagan hippie" way. It made me laugh and got my interest, so I started my own search and read up about the traditions and customs of this High Holy day. The ritual of Tashlikh, where people walk by moving water reciting prayers and sometimes throwing bread or pebbles in as a symbol of casting off sin, sounded like a beautiful way to invite the Jewish New Year into my life. </div>
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I took Fig for a walk to the urban forest near our home today. We spent more time than usual down by the creek walking and thinking, it was peaceful and lovely and sweet. Then I tried to take a picture of my adorable baby puppy by the creek (probably not recommended to bring your iPhone to Tashlikh, but I'm usually pretty sacrilege in most things I do). I started to get so frustrated that I couldn't get her to sit and stay, even though I brought the good treats she loves! I finally realized how silly I was being, and snapped an "un-perfect" photo of my curious sweet pup who just wanted to play and explore. I had to cast off my own sin of trying to find perfection in everything. Fig was able to show me that this is perfect, in every way it should be. </div>
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<br />Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-74828863369910529682016-09-28T13:55:00.001-07:002016-09-28T14:06:37.988-07:00PatienceYesterday, after taking class at my yoga studio, I ran through the parking lot getting drenched in an unexpected downpour. I crossed paths with another teacher friend of mine also caught in the same crazy shower as she entered the studio. The minute I got to my car, the sheets of rain that had been coming in sideways at me, drenching me head to toe, slowed to a light shower, then on my drive home, almost stopped. I had been so impatient to get to my car and on with my day, that I hadn't stopped to think that this rain could clear quickly. My friend and I laughed about it today, how we both got soaked because we needed to be somewhere else and couldn't wait one minute to see if the sky would clear.<br />
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Today I am on day 6 of a cleanse, and the first 5 days were weaning off of caffeine, alcohol, cheese, sugar, gluten, corn - basically all of the things I have become addicted to and dependent on. I was being impatient wanting to see a flat belly and clear head immediately, then got discouraged when things got hard and I just wanted ice cream. Today things are going better, and stuff that I hadn't even considered could be food and caffeine related (teeth grinding at night, neck pain, muscle stiffness) have started to subside. I still find it difficult to resist a glass of wine at the end of the day, or going out to dinner with friends, but this isn't forever, and I am trying to be patient.<br />
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One of my biggest reminders to be patient right now is our new puppy, Fig. She is so sweet, and learning very fast, but of course she is still a puppy... Things get hard and discouraging when she is having a good time learning to potty outside, or walk on her leash, then totally disengages and wont come when we call her. My boyfriend witnessed me turning into a child one day when she wouldn't come to me and I declared that she hates me and none of our training is working (I know, DRAMATIC) He reminded me that she is just a baby, and these things take time. I totally Virgo-ed out and wanted perfection right away. But, she really is the cutest hourly reminder of patience. <br />
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It can be difficult sometimes to find the balance between finding patience and becoming complacent. I've found it helps to keep a personal journal, and write down goals and desires that I want to work on in different areas of my life. This also allows me to get clear and honest with my current reality (what's working, what's not). There are times when we must be patient remember that the storm will pass, and there are others when we have to run through the rain.<br />
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<br />Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-78366598591015369092016-09-01T17:30:00.000-07:002016-09-28T14:10:39.692-07:0028I was at the doctor last week for my first physical in about 10 years. The sweet older woman drawing my blood looked at my drivers license and said "Oh, you've got a birthday coming up! Watch out, you're creeping up on 30!" She meant nothing by it, just making small talk, but it felt a little strange to me.<br />
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A few days ago, C and I were at a wedding and another guest we just met was discussing his family and kids and asked if we were planning on having any kids, then said "jokingly" that if we were, we should probably get started soon (again noting that I am getting closer to 30). Once more I told myself that this perfect stranger only meant well, but why is it okay for anyone, especially someone I just met, to comment on my age and body and life plans like that?<br />
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Today I took the day off for my birthday, but made no plans. I puttered around the house a bit, drank too much coffee and spent too much time on the internet, but then I felt called outside. I drove through the city to one of my favorite spots, Sweetwater Creek, for a walk in the woods. I've become birthday spoiled, the past few years I have spent my birthday surrounded by breathtaking beauty in Glacier National Park, and last week I savored the amazing rolling hills and vineyards of N. Cali wine country and the awe-inspiring Redwoods. Today I felt a little snobbish as I approached Sweetwater, noting how small the trees looked and how thick and hot the air felt. But as I started on my trail, under the shade of the oak trees and thick mountain laurel, I felt at home. My walk slowly turned into a run, just because it felt so good to move my body through the familiar forest. My feet hit the ground and seemed to bounce back up from the layer of fallen pine straw atop thick Georgia red clay. My breath and heart beat played louder in my ears as sweat formed along my brow, like condensation on a tall glass of iced tea in the summer heat. The cicadas and crickets sung a soundtrack atop the trickling of the creek. I felt my belly (softer than usual from indulging on a vacation diet made up mostly of red wine, cheese, lemon tarts, cappuccinos, ice cream, and pizzas) come along for the ride of my jog, jiggling gleefully under my t-shirt and running shorts, and for the first time in my life, I was okay with it. Instead of feeling disappointed, my soft belly reminded me of the amazing trip I had just experienced with my love. This body, much like the trail itself has had its ups and downs, highs and lows. I've struggled all of my life with body image and eating issues, and will most likely continue to. But today I am celebrating this body. I am reminded of my years from markings that are linked to memories, like that scar on my thigh from a bug bite in South Africa, or the cut on my second toe from a rock in the lake at Girl Scout camp, or the three tattoos I have that each remind me of a very specific place and time in my life. There are also the markings on my heart, everything from joyful adventures saved to replay, and painful memories that linger and resurface every now and then. This body continues to carry me through life, whatever explorations I get into.<br />
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I stopped along the river to lay on a rock and watch the water go by. There are places where water turns white as it rushes over and through rocks in the way. At the same time, in the same body of water, there are places so still you see all the little tiny bugs landing like pin pricks on the surface. Again, I am reminded by nature how varied and amazing our life is. When we can find the beauty whether the water is rapid and exciting, or peaceful and still, our hearts will be full.<br />
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Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-45802609145039266372016-03-10T19:44:00.000-08:002016-03-10T20:32:45.367-08:00Dirt in my Blood<div style="text-align: center;">
Driving to work this morning I had an overwhelming urge to call my Grandpa Raymond and ask him if it was too early to plant tomatoes and okra yet, and what veggies I should put in my front beds and which ones in the back. I desperately wanted to be back in his little red pick up truck headed to the local feed and seed store to pick out seeds and fencing and say hello to all of his bridge buddies. I imagined I was on his back porch drinking sun tea and eating Saltines with fresh tomato, staring up into the endless tangle of grapevine over head. </div>
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I cried big salty Saltine tears as I continued on the road to work.</div>
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Home for lunch, I kicked my shoes off and wandered into the grass. The warm sun kissed my neck as I dug, sifted, moved the soil around with my hands in the little garden in front of my house. It is only March, but Spring is here - the birds chirping softly wakes me up in the morning, the daffodils, saucer magnolias and dogwoods are blooming bright and cheery, and kneeling in the grass working the dirt with my own two hands fills my heart with joy. </div>
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Pulling up the old, retiling and replanting, then waiting. This process makes me feel connected and strong and sane. </div>
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I miss my Grandpa. </div>
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I miss the way he always wore his cowboy hat and slacks. I miss the smell of his little old stick shift pickup that always had loose change and starlight mints floating around the dash. I miss riding with him to Grandma Sylvia's Farm where we would pick apples and look out on miles and miles of flat land and big skies. I miss the gentle way he taught me about farming and growing and building and living. He never had me sit out or be cautious because I was a girl. He had me digging and sawing and sowing and picking regardless of if I showed up in my ballet skirt or not. He showed me how to respect this earth we live on, dig in, and eat from. He helped shape me into the strong woman I am.</div>
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I miss my Grandpa, but I'm grateful for the time I had with him.<br />
I have dirt in my blood, and always will.</div>
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<br />Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-57066811265930152052016-01-02T07:25:00.000-08:002016-09-28T13:59:26.076-07:00Hello 2016!Thursday just happened, like it does, and then it was Friday, but we went from 2015 to 2016. The weight of the new year can feel so heavy sometimes. All this "blank space" to make something or do something (or at least say you will…) It makes me feel like I do sometimes when staring at this blank blog before writing something. Overwhelmed and a little lost. I feel like I have so much I want to do and say, and the longer I wait to do or say it, the more weight everything carries. So here I am, rambling through my first post of 2016. One of the things I want to do more this year (because you know, you can only make these kind of changes in your life at the turn of the new year…) is write. I love to blog, and journal, and write essays, and I have always told myself that its silly to spend too much time on it because I am a terrible speller, and never had any real "training" in writing. But I know that writing makes everything seem a little clearer in my head, and I like to share my experiences with others, something I don't do that well in person all the time, so writing and blogging is a creative outlet that I need to stop neglecting. Here's to 2016, and doing the things that we aren't perfect at!<br />
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<br />Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-5732506332924870002015-09-24T08:43:00.001-07:002015-09-24T08:43:45.265-07:00it's ok for things to just be weird sometimesI just got back into town after a 3 week trip less than a week ago. I have been feeling sort of off ever since coming home and for some reason I feel really guilty about it. I keep telling myself it is because I was gone for a long time and now I am home, that reality is trying to set in and I am trying to stop it, because the seasons are changing, or because I'm hormonal, or because mercury is retrograde… I keep trying to explain why I feel not quite myself. Really though, when I think about it, sometimes life is just weird. Yes it could be any combination of these things or all of them that make me feel unsettled, but honestly I need to focus less on what "explains" it and just sit with the uncomfortable-ness of it. I have to remember that it is ok for everything to be up in the air sometimes, because that is just how life goes. The more I struggle to label and control what is happening, the more it will just upset me.<br />
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My time in Montana was once again magical. I had the great pleasure of teaching a lovely group of yogis restorative yoga in the evenings at our retreat. We really were so blessed, the smoke from all of the fires in and around Glacier had become so dense that it was difficult to see and breathe the week before and especially the day before the retreat, but somehow, as if all our prayers and magic and juju were heard, the morning of the retreat the smoke parted and we could see the mountains and clear blue sky! I was able to spend my 27th birthday taking class from my best friend and amazing teacher in the morning, saw an adorable young black bear while horseback riding in beautiful weather, had dinner which included birthday cake and pie and surprise presents and balloons and singing from all the sweet yogis and cooks at the cabins, taught a gentle sleepy restorative yoga class on a gorgeous pavilion while the sun set over the mountain range behind me, and sipped hot chocolate and bourbon with my close girlfriends giggling until our eyes wouldn't stay open any longer. Only thing missing was my boy back home, but we had a sweet phone conversation too. The whole retreat was so lovely and made my heart so very full.<br />
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After the retreat my friend and I started the long drive back to Atlanta, stopping plenty of times along the way to make the drive a trip of its own. We stayed in a haunted hot springs in Montana, explored the wonders of Yellowstone, backpacked 2 nights in the Grand Tetons (where some highlights include seeing gorgeous foliage turning fall colors and seeing mama bear with 2 adorable cubs and much much more), stayed in 2 more awesome hot springs in Colorado, stopped in Santa Fe for green chilies and Jackalope shopping, and stayed a night in Oklahoma with my mama. The trip was full of adventure and beauty and emotion. After writing all of this out, I can see more clearly that it is only natural being back less than a week that I would feel a little let down from the trip being over, and knowing that life is back to work for awhile. I am so happy to be home with my sweet man in our cute little house and with my friends again, but I also have to let it be ok to feel weird and a little let down and off as I re-adjust to life in Atlanta.<br />
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<br />Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-13837761186159628882015-08-27T07:46:00.000-07:002015-09-24T07:47:15.512-07:00coming full circle...This time last year I was heading to Glacier National Park with some of my closest friends. I was excited, of course, to see a new place and have a new experience, but I had no idea just how inspiring and magical the trip would be. While I was there, I hiked through amazingly gorgeous terrifyingly difficult awe-inspiring landscape. I walked in sun, rain, snow, horse poop, and bear scat. I did yoga on top of rocky mountain passes and next to ancient glaciers and shockingly blue/green glacial lakes, and stared in awe at grizzly and black bears, mountain goats, longhorn sheep, and a whole plethora of other little critters. I turned 26. I felt the magic of the big sky over my head, turning cotton candy pinkpurpleblue during sunrise, and saw the stars shining down on me in the nighttime during bundled up porch chats with my friends. Something shifted for me then, and I decided that 26 was going to be a transformational year, or less decided and more realized. This was out of my hands, but then I knew it and stopped trying to control what would or should happen.<br />
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When I got back to Atlanta I started to think about what would make me happy and help me grow as a person. I started planning a summer in Europe, and completed my yoga teacher training. I quit my job as a nanny and focus on my career as a dancer and yoga teacher. I performed in an amazing show with staibdance "attic" and got to work with Flux Projects and T. Lang and Nick Cave at Ponce City Market. I then somehow planned a year that included little time in Atlanta because I had the wanderlust bad. Then I met the man of my dreams and wanted nothing more than to spend all of the time with him IN ATLANTA! All of a sudden my gypsy plans and dreams turned into fear of messing up this good thing I had going. Luckily he was super supportive of me chasing dreams and traveling. We somehow survived the summer apart with lots of broken phone calls and postcards, then I settled my gypsy ass down into a house with him when I got home. But, now I am taking off again, luckily only for a short time, and it is brining me full circle. I am heading back to Montana tomorrow, almost exactly one year later, and I cannot wait to see what this adventure brings. I know that as I spend my 27th birthday in Glacier surrounded by friends and teaching yoga, frolicking and dreaming and missing my sweetie back home, I will reminisce about last years adventure that started all of this. Onward and upward.<br />
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Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-64145698847658648022015-04-12T07:04:00.000-07:002015-04-12T07:08:19.036-07:00time is weird, right?Im sitting at work this morning, thinking of how strange it is that today is April 12th, 2015. How can it be that we are already this far into the year? You know when you make plans and look forward to a thing and then wait and wait and it seems forever away, and then its like you blink and the thing has come and past? I feel like that is what this year has been so far. I have been MIA from posting in this blog because there have been so many moments that I was looking forward to and wanted to write about and share then quickly they started whizzing by without me even fully realizing that they were here. Staibdance premiered Attic in January and it was one of the most amazingly powerful performance experiences I have had.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Staibdance "Attic" photo by Jacobs Creative</td></tr>
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We had wonderful <a href="http://www.artsatl.com/2015/01/review-scrounging-attic-staibdance-takes-insightful-meaningful-trip-memory-lane/">reviews</a> and were able to present excerpts of it at UGA and at American College Dance Association.<br />
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I began teaching yoga more consistently and have really grown to love it. It was terrifying teaching at my home studio the first few times, I had all this anxiety because I wanted to do so well, but then quickly realized that this studio of all the places I should feel the least nervous because all of our staff and students are like my family. It felt amazing to be surrounded and supported and encouraged as a new teacher.<br />
Just this past week, I took a big leap of faith into the full path of yoga and dance by quitting my nanny job. I really had to take a long look at my finances and plan and think, but at the end of the day I have to remember that space needs to be opened for something else to come in.<br />
Tomorrow I start a new project with T Lang, and I couldn't be more excited. I will be in rehearsal every day for the next 2 weeks and get to focus fully on dancing and teaching yoga and practicing. The life I envisioned when I moved to Atlanta almost 3 years ago. I know it won't be forever - and the struggles will continue, but I feel all the things shifting and moving in the right direction.<br />
I am planning my big European trip this summer and I am filled with joy and anticipation as I look over travel guides and make lesson plans for my yoga classes I will teach while there. It's funny though, I started planning this whole trip last year while feeling lonely and filled with wanderlust knowing I could drop most things for a little while and put my life on hold, then the exact moment the year turned to 2015 and I made peace with being a lone gypsy all year, I met someone who is wonderfully amazing and making me already miss Atlanta before I have left. But I am a full believer that things happen when they should and all will work out beautifully. All good things are worth waiting for, and then the work is to be present in the moment after all the waiting to enjoy and experience and live.Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-58870736665414920652014-09-12T08:14:00.000-07:002014-09-12T19:27:37.205-07:00Wanderlust<div style="text-align: center;">
Sitting on my front porch this morning writing and dreaming of travel... </div>
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Having just returned from Glacier National Park last week, I'm justifying still moping about in post trip depression as acceptable behavior. Sipping lukewarm coffee, I'm staring at the cars zip by in the muggy Atlanta air, and a homeless man just walked by blowing cigarette smoke towards me while winking. This isn't helping. The trouble is, I actually really do love (parts of) Atlanta, despite how negative I feel about it at times. I love dancing here, and working at the yoga studio, and the community of lovely people I am lucky enough to be surrounded by daily. For a city, we really do have a large amount of green space, and we are close enough to take day trips to hike in lots of lovely places, and there is opportunity to work in the field I love. But Montana awoke something in me. Maybe it's that I've been in Atlanta for over 2 years now and I can never seem to sit still for that long. Maybe it's that Montana was so new and exciting and incredibly more beautiful than anything I've experienced before. Maybe it's that I was traveling with close friends, experiencing the ups and downs (literally) with their love and encouragement and support and I don't want to be back home alone again. But whatever it is, I am awake with curiosity and inspiration and dreams. Oh, and confusion. Lots of confusion. I have the wanderlust bad, but I like the life I've built here and I'm scared of what will or will not be here for me if I chose to leave for any amount of time. For now, what I do know is that turning 26 years young in such an awe-inspiring breathtakingly beautiful place was the experience of a lifetime. I am so grateful that my best friend introduced me to her favorite place in the world, and woke me up. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">For years, copying other people, I tried to know myself.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">From within, I couldn’t decide what to do.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">Unable to see, I heard my name being called.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">Then I walked outside.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">Don’t go back to sleep.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">You must ask for what you really want.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">Don’t go back to sleep.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">People are going back and forth across the door sill</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">where the two worlds touch.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">The door is round and open.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">Don’t go back to sleep.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">-RUMI</span></div>
Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-9118617544771446762014-08-14T18:16:00.000-07:002014-08-14T18:16:48.863-07:00Creative Renewal - Ireland Retreat 2015<div class="WordSection1">
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<span style="font-family: Desdemona; font-size: 36.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Papyrus;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Desdemona; font-size: 36.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Papyrus;">Creative
Renewal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Join us for a
personalized weeklong retreat on the beautiful Dingle peninsula in Ireland. This
retreat is designed to meet your interests and needs while providing a relaxing
and nurturing environment. Hosted in a beautiful home in a rural area just
outside Dingle town, this intimate week will involve exploration, rest,
creativity and self-care.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Your week will include transportation from Tralee or Shannon
into Dingle/to the house, lodging in a shared room with queen bed, cooked
breakfast, lunch, and snacks, yoga with a certified instructor, creative
workshops with optional 9 ceu’s, and two day-tours out of Dingle. Workshops/ceu’s
will focus on writing, poetry, art, and self-care and are suitable for anyone-
no art or writing background is needed and all materials are supplied. All
sessions are optional, and you will have other free time to do more touring on
your own if you wish. Please keep in mind we will be in a remote area and while
traveling out of Dingle is possible, touring in Dublin or further areas is
suggested either before or after your retreat week. Your costs outside of the
listed retreat price will be airfare to Ireland, dinner each day, shopping, and
any add-on tours that you do (keep in mind that two wonderful tours are
included).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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We will assist in personal arrangements and travel plans for
each individual so that everything goes smoothly for you, and we are happy to
give guidance in booking hotels and additional travel outside of the
retreat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Total retreat cost is: <o:p></o:p></div>
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$1,600 for a shared queen room <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
$2,200 if you would like a queen room to yourself with no
roommate.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To hold your space, a non-refundable deposit of $600 is due
by November 1, 2015. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Please select which week you would like to attend: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Week one: June 7-13, 2015<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Week two: June 14-20, 2015<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Tentative Schedule
for the week</u></b></div>
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All arrive to house in Dingle by late afternoon Sunday<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Monday</u><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>8
breakfast<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>9 yoga/stretch<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>10-1 workshop<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1 lunch<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Afternoon
and evening free time. Transport to area attractions arranged<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Tuesday</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Dingle peninsula tour- guided tour out of Dingle <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Wednesday</u><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>8
breakfast<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>9 yoga/stretch<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>10-1 workshop<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1 lunch<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Afternoon
and evening free time. Transport to area attractions arranged<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Thursday</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cliffs of Moher and Burren tour guided all day<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Friday</u><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>8
breakfast<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>9 yoga/stretch<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>10-1 workshop<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1 lunch<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Afternoon
and evening free time. Transport to area attractions arranged<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Saturday</u>- departures. Most international flights
leave between 8am-noon so if you want to book a night close to your airport
(i.e. for Dublin) we can set that up for you but the cost will be your
responsibility. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On days that we have tours, yoga will still be offered
either before or after the tour, depending on departure and arrival times. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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On your afternoon free time you have many options like
taking a ferry to the Blasket Islands, doing some hiking, shopping and eating
in Dingle, and pubs in Dingle in the evenings. We may arrange a visit to a
potter’s studio in the nearby town of Annascaul (<a href="http://www.annascaulpottery.com/">http://www.annascaulpottery.com/</a>).
Strolling country lanes or walking down to the beach that is within two minutes
is an option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or you could nap! Read, do
art, write, lounge around, visit with other participants, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Renewal comes in many forms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<b>Joan Phillips, </b>PhD, LMFT, LPC,
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<b>Amelia Reiser, </b>professional
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Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-10396780213955329272014-06-05T07:38:00.000-07:002014-06-05T07:38:44.670-07:00Post Up at the Goat Farm! Join us at the Goat Farm this weekend, June 6-8th at 8pm to see Post Up from T Lang Dance!<br />
Tickets are available at the door or in advance at <a href="http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/684147">http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/684147</a><br />
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<br />Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-66119510567486435432014-05-07T07:19:00.000-07:002014-05-07T07:19:46.768-07:00"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do" - Rumi<div style="text-align: center;">
I love all of Rumi's writings, but this quote in particular is one that has always filled my heart. I have read it over and over again and it never fails to fill me with inspiration and joy. </div>
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"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do." </div>
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It is the quote that I chose to have tattooed onto my body after completing my BFA degree in dance, knowing full and well that if I chose to continue down the path of being a professional dancer I would come across difficult times, but that the challenges would be worth it. I have to let the beauty of all the things that I love and care about, be what I do in the world. I have to know that my life's work is meaningful and beautiful, even if only to myself. As I approach a very big show with one of my dance companies a month from now, I can already feel myself getting caught up in the stress of managing all of my other jobs and responsibilities while preparing for the show. I was feeling frustrated that I needed to come into the yoga studio today not to take class but to work and make phone calls and return emails, thinking "I have a show soon! I have to do yoga! I have to clear my mind and stretch and move my body!" But when I walked in the door of the studio, I immediately noticed the chalkboard behind my desk that one of my lovely friends continually draws beautiful quotes on.</div>
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"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do" </div>
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It brought me right back. I help manage this studio because it is so very beautiful to me. It is my second home and I am so blessed that one of my "non dance jobs" is something that I care so much about! I got the studio ready to open and started checking emails. The very first email I opened had a signature at the bottom...</div>
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"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do"</div>
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It's everywhere. This life is so beautiful. The people I come in contact with are so beautiful. The jobs that I have, whether it be dancing, or nannying, or studio managing, or stage managing, are all so very beautiful. The beauty feeds itself. By simply acknowledging that what I do is beautiful, it creates space for more beauty to flourish. Thank you universe for reminding me of this today. </div>
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Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-28938104458036942372014-04-22T11:15:00.000-07:002014-05-07T06:09:30.114-07:00Performance alert: Inman Park Festival with Staibdance!This weekend I will be performing with Staibdance at the Inman Park festival, both Saturday and Sunday at 4pm at the Trolley Barn! Click <a href="http://inmanparkfestival.org/category/Dance/">Here</a> for more info about the festival! I hope to see you all there!<br />
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<img src="webkit-fake-url://995DB4AF-6E3C-4F53-8077-719A36FB8E8D/imagejpeg" />Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-67619580407800129272014-04-06T07:14:00.000-07:002014-04-06T07:14:19.945-07:00sunshine on a cloudy dayI am such a sucker for beautiful weather. It has such a strong hold over my perspective on the day. If I wake up and see the sun shining and hear the birds chirping outside my window, I know it's going to be an awesome day. If I wake up after a week of sunny perfect spring weather and see clouds and chilly temps, I want to roll over and go back to sleep. This season is so hard because just when I think its going to stay warm and that we are through with winter, there is another chilly or rainy day. I have been working on trying to find ways to generate my own internal sunshine to make those days a little easier to manage, and I have found three things:<br />
1. coffee (duh)<br />
2. my favorite lipstick<br />
3. movement<br />
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Ok so the second one is kind of a joke (although it really does get me going to get myself dressed and looking ready to face the day) and coffee is a given… but movement, movement is the key. Honestly, the movement of our bodies is so connected to our mental and emotional behavior that it is just silly we spend most of our days sitting down. It takes a little push to get going at times (like, before the coffee…), but when I can get up and stretch, walk, twist, move, breathe it changes my entire viewpoint on the day. I find that if I can get up and build a little internal heat, a little sunshine, I can make it through even the dreariest of days with a smile on my face. Lets move. Lets shine. <br />
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Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-71343677535090169812014-02-05T21:34:00.004-08:002014-02-05T21:34:52.558-08:00waves I've been tested again today. I have been given challenge after challenge and I spent all day trying to catch up. I do this to myself- over commit, say yes to it all, fill and schedule every minute of my day so that I have <i>just</i> enough time to get from one thing to the next, and although I've said time after time that I am working on saying no to more things, it really is a daily challenge for me. I just want to do it all!<br />
In preparation for a friends wedding this weekend (which I am <b>officiating</b> and baking a cake for, but thats another story for another day) I had packed my day super tight...<br />
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7:00am wake up and start baking cake<br />
8:00am shower while cake bakes and get dressed as it cools<br />
9:00am head to post office pick up express mailed paperwork (post office across town)<br />
10:00am coffee with a friend at octane, squeezed this in since I'd be in midtown anyway<br />
11:00am go to county clerk downtown to discuss wedding paperwork<br />
12:30pm nanny job, back across town<br />
5:30pm off work head home to clean kitchen and do laundry<br />
7:00-9:00pm company rehearsal at Emory (see if I can leave rehearsal early and join meeting late)<br />
8:00-10:00pm Skwhirlhaus meeting<br />
10:00pm meet friend for birthday drink<br />
11:00pm home to make icing for cake and clean rest of apartment<br />
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But this morning I was thrown for a loop right away - woke up late and was in a rush to start baking. Got the cake mix all set, pans filled and ready to go in the oven. The oven that I thought had been preheating. But as I went to stick the pans filled with wedding cake in the oven, I realized that the pilot light had gone out AGAIN and I was now in a panic. I needed to get my schedule going, I had only allotted the perfect amount of time that I had obsessively calculated each thing would take! I frantically called my apartment management over and over trying to get them to come fix my oven, and ended up on the phone with my mother in tears shouting "just let me vent, don't tell me it will all be ok!" - this is when I realized I needed to take a step back as I was failing some sort of universal test.<br />
I called to cancel coffee to give myself another hour, and found a place to bake my cake (my friend I housesit for said I could use her oven since I had a key and such) and creatively packed up my four pans full of wedding cake batter and drove across town. I collected myself and felt like I could salvage my day, although quite a bit was still looming ahead of me. I took a much needed moment to relax and watch tv and play with my friends dogs while my cakes baked. It didn't last long though as I needed to drive all the way across town to the post office before I had to be at work.<br />
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I got to the post office where my pink slip told me my very important papers stating I was certified to officiate the wedding in just a few short days was waiting for me. I went in thinking I was doing good and had time to spare! But, alas, the post man had mistakenly written the wrong post office for me to collect my package and it was really at the post office that is 2 blocks from my apartment rather than 20 minutes across town, WALKING DISTANCE from my apartment! I about lost it. I had to get this package today and I had to be at work in a few minutes, and the post office closed at five, and I had work until 5:30, and, and, and... cue the hyperventilating. Thank God for pranayama.<br />
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I started to feel defeated - why, when I'm trying to do all this for others, was I being tested and challenged? I just want everything I do to be perfect and over the top and amazing all the time for everyone. And this is exactly why I am being tested. I have to realize that isn't what helping others is. I need to stop and think what can I cut out to make life easier for myself, and know that in the end I will be a better-healthier-stronger person for my friends instead of a stressed-out-stretched-too-thin-hard-to-be-around person.<br />
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Luckily I work for an awesome family and they said I could bring the kid with me across town to pick up the package (we stopped at a book store on the way too so he could have some fun) before getting back home to meet the older kids after school. While the kid napped, I was able to reevaluate the next few days as this big weekend approaches and fit in things that I NEED for myself, like yoga tomorrow morning, and cut out the ridiculous perfectionist time control scheduling of things that didn't matter.<br />
I was able to let my director know at rehearsal tonight that I would need to leave a little early so that I could make my meeting without stressing too much, and said no to meeting a friend for birthday drinks (that one was hard) so that I could get home and take care of some things before going to bed at a reasonable time.<br />
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I feel as I'm typing this that I have typed this same post at least twice before. And every time I promise that I am going to be better at this, that, or the other... and so instead of making promises to be <i>better, </i>thus labeling my anxious thoughts and actions as bad or wrong, I simply want to acknowledge that these things come in waves. We all need a reminder from time to time to slow down and remember what really matters and brings us joy.<br />
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<br />Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-74574366554834297782014-01-04T10:44:00.001-08:002014-01-04T10:44:26.450-08:00Free Falling <div style="text-align: center;">
New year, fresh start on writing. I fell off the posting bandwagon after my November show with T. Lang and staibdance - we have been on a rehearsal break for the holidays and lots of things have become sort of lax in my routine. But it has been sort of sweet. I have gotten to spend more time at the yoga studio, and going to dinner with friends, and traveling home for Christmas to see my family. I appreciate the down time way more after a very busy fall and dance season. Enjoying something as simple as sleeping as late as I want on a Saturday morning, or going out for drinks without being concerned about not performing my best in rehearsal the next day has reminded me that I am just 25, and I need to cut myself a break sometimes. I love everything that I have going on in my life right now, and I am sure a lot of it is because of the long hours I put into my various jobs, but I also need to remember that everything doesn't have to be perfect all the time. </div>
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One of my resolutions this year is to stop being afraid of falling. This came as a yoga resolution of sorts, as I have been working on my handstand the past few months, and my teacher has said I have all the strength and alignment to be able to stick my handstand on my own, I just need to find the line of balance and that only comes with practice and overcoming the fear of falling. Just learn how to fall with grace. So I am attempting to apply this to all aspects of my life. I let my Virgo perfectionist tendencies get in my way sometimes and the thought of getting something wrong can hinder me from trying my hardest. So I am learning to be ok with falling, gracefully, and seeing what new doors can open with a little more freedom, playfulness, and kindness towards myself. </div>
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<br />Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-39407038171391902152013-11-05T04:48:00.003-08:002013-11-05T05:10:15.381-08:00staibdance and T. Lang Dance in concert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9slK7mA0ZYrDCjpTQan3710DLGG8f7tWqspGmV5ZOsd2bwu55tOSeiSfvywply34iLXsjdl-k4RrqxCqs-BdoOgzOAk-EGYZdKIoDTm2FmSGeeu18LTiG_kehBQeEKflTQ4gHZFv53CA/s1600/staib+t+lang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9slK7mA0ZYrDCjpTQan3710DLGG8f7tWqspGmV5ZOsd2bwu55tOSeiSfvywply34iLXsjdl-k4RrqxCqs-BdoOgzOAk-EGYZdKIoDTm2FmSGeeu18LTiG_kehBQeEKflTQ4gHZFv53CA/s400/staib+t+lang.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 16px;">I am so excited for this upcoming show where I will perform with both companies I dance for in the same evening! In just two short weeks "s n a p" and excerpts from "Post Up" will be presented at Fabrefaction Theatre. Get your tickets now!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxO-qGCElmA9GbTzCqvrLbNe9QEN38pjLhuv3cG1x-9GKF_TMBNwUAYL8asdz_pLZZ_rzWU0DkhDPG8ZYhBQtJwOfpDv4b8VA5OSdWCpSu3HH9zMc4i3v7Sa4uxwuf45xEs1VuKJl8jc/s1600/staibdance+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxO-qGCElmA9GbTzCqvrLbNe9QEN38pjLhuv3cG1x-9GKF_TMBNwUAYL8asdz_pLZZ_rzWU0DkhDPG8ZYhBQtJwOfpDv4b8VA5OSdWCpSu3HH9zMc4i3v7Sa4uxwuf45xEs1VuKJl8jc/s400/staibdance+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">photo by Lori Teague</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgqdVea9Cu2oRPNxT-D0CzyvzLp4xdGqMp_ejlZpwjdygZl5TnBy2bX88D6Ez8ITIrP7dfSGGfHXOR-nsBeiuoOfdf97di5Yb5dIArHFFDAc4gPBPIGB1GT_Kb9Xn3vZfBVLdxS47k9o/s1600/staibdance+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgqdVea9Cu2oRPNxT-D0CzyvzLp4xdGqMp_ejlZpwjdygZl5TnBy2bX88D6Ez8ITIrP7dfSGGfHXOR-nsBeiuoOfdf97di5Yb5dIArHFFDAc4gPBPIGB1GT_Kb9Xn3vZfBVLdxS47k9o/s400/staibdance+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">photo by Lori Teague </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">photo by Lori Teague</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOtUBF1SckwwEWNc8KDrNNYynaXctmTbXtAVE7wRsHYIImVAszZjQYKGm584dsMk98bJRzy22WXqjpYQs7ZKPOdjZSixl_HlHPoSvrZ9Kch5_AHnNFbrpyd1M2hydQT521lx-Kc19cvU/s1600/staibdance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOtUBF1SckwwEWNc8KDrNNYynaXctmTbXtAVE7wRsHYIImVAszZjQYKGm584dsMk98bJRzy22WXqjpYQs7ZKPOdjZSixl_HlHPoSvrZ9Kch5_AHnNFbrpyd1M2hydQT521lx-Kc19cvU/s400/staibdance.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">photo by Lori Teague</span></td></tr>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">staibdance presents “s n a p”<br /><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><br />“s n a p,” the newest work by Atlanta-based contemporary dance company staibdance is an investigation of the moment before personal or global history is made.<br /><br />When do we decide enough is enough? How long can we live in the wanting of change before taking the first harrowing step? Inspired by the collective unrest, curiosity, and frustration of the French people during the reign of Louis XVI and moved by the decision to storm the Bastille, staibdance explores these and other questions.<br /><br />“Every revolution, whether personal or society, is born of unrest,” says artistic director George Staib, “Anxiety, fear, excitement, or doubt percolate until the center cannot hold, and we make the decision to act.”</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">T. Lang Dance presents excerpts from "Post Up"</span></span>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/78344606" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/78344606">T. Lang Dance "P O S T U P"</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/tlangdance">T. Lang Dance</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px;">Atlanta-based choreographer T. Lang returns with a new work after her acclaimed 2012 full-length debut “Mother/Mutha.” The piece, titled “Post Up,” examines the longing for love as it tends towards self-destruction. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px;">Moving from entangled aggressive movements to staggeringly tender moments, T. Lang’s “Post Up”, delves deeply into American history and its avoided complexities. Referring to newspaper “posts” by freed Americans in an attempt to find a loved one, “Post Up” relates to our strong need to belong, to ground oneself in a sense of community – which withstands all trials and the test of time. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px;">Performance November 14-16, 2013 at 8 p.m. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px;">Tickets ($20 general admission; $12 seniors/students with valid ID) available at</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px;" /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wepay.com%2Fevents%2Fs-n-a-p-and-post-up-tickets&h=DAQFU5DsU&enc=AZPpJMNNzPxdqPY2eZhRFehxCb6gx3Uesx5a4jz_aKH8M5WopylBOgcQW3P0_hm5gtA&s=1" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; line-height: 16px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">https://www.wepay.com/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>events/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>s-n-a-p-and-post-up-tickets</a></span>Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939026793758272451.post-25028673742585860282013-10-23T11:59:00.002-07:002013-10-25T04:40:58.353-07:00First Season of Skwhirlhaus - Done! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Ah, we are through with the last show of the first season at Skwhirlhaus! It has been a long, exciting, challenging, thought provoking, entertaining, educational, emotional, and most of all inspiring couple of months. Watching, participating, and performing in these shows both onstage and off has been an experience I know I could not get anywhere else, and I am so honored to be a part of it all. </div>
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Skwhirlhaus has allowed me to grow so much; not only as an individual artist, but also as a part of the larger dance community. I now understand what an undertaking it is to get shows up and running; everything from putting a call out for submissions, communicating with artists, and promoting shows. Then the added challenges an outdoor stage confronted us with including running cables across the back yard to be configured to three little power strips at our "light board", setting up sound on the back porch (thank goodness for Matt Whitmore!), cleaning the stage (which is done most efficiently with a leaf blower and bath towels, by the way), watching the weather report like a hawk and searching for alternate rain dates or locations (for numerous artists and their dancers - impossible? no!)</div>
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I think, for me, what makes Skwhirlhaus so special is the sense of family and community. I've loved watching Maryn's daughter Naomi play and dance on the stage or in the yard during rehearsals or while we set up for shows. And the joy we all got watching little Sorci grow in Maryn's belly throughout the first season, and then for her to be here with us for the last couple shows, nursing while Maryn set up lights (so bad ass) or sleeping peacefully under the donations table, or being passed from one of us to the other while we got our pre-show tasks taken care of. Gathering all the artists for dinner that we had cooked to enjoy in Maryn's home was such a special pre-show time too. Having this sense of community and support among the dance artists in Atlanta is invaluable. </div>
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Showing my work Night Kitchen at Skwhirlhaus in this final October show was so special. I remember our very first show at Skwhirlhaus last October, Maryn's work Thread - the stage had just been built, before our little collective was even a thing, we were just a group of women who were all connected to Maryn some way or another and she called us together to perform in her backyard. We since then have presented 25 incredible artists on the stage, and I am so honored to say that I am one of them :) I am so thankful for Maryn and her beautiful idea that has blossomed into this amazing space for the community. Here's to a little break, and a great season at the 'haus! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPUkBHGqNepRFQ8WBESkIgUC4iQI_SefEGaFjaxeU239s701RGiF28lFeNwz4Gc_8xD7LQhaYFfYOh1wd5JOfricleaRDX5af50ZfGO9FKSp8SYw-mc6OWsC8VRX0_8zt1KBHftuMe-s/s1600/1073982_10151957277518331_92422789_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPUkBHGqNepRFQ8WBESkIgUC4iQI_SefEGaFjaxeU239s701RGiF28lFeNwz4Gc_8xD7LQhaYFfYOh1wd5JOfricleaRDX5af50ZfGO9FKSp8SYw-mc6OWsC8VRX0_8zt1KBHftuMe-s/s400/1073982_10151957277518331_92422789_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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still from Night Kitchen at Skwhirlhaus October 18th, 2013</div>
<br />Amelia Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015538082697699640noreply@blogger.com0